The Retirement Speech
by dreamlifter
Summary: TenTen gives the speech at Maito Gai's retirement. Its more heartfelt & personal than any expected. Two parts, first chapter is light. Several pairs but concentration primarily between the love and appreciation felt from a student to her teacher
1. Short Prologue

_**Retirement Speech**_ by causeiambetta

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Thirty five people attended the retirement announcement of Maito Gai. Some were civilians, most were ninja. A practical who's who of the Hidden Village of the Leaf was at attendance. Both Sixth and Seventh Hokages were there. One was grumbling through the latest Icha Icha knockoff porn. 'They just don't make literature like they used to,' he could be heard muttering. His successor was loudly joking with the ninjas sitting behind him. Nara Shikamaru took the brunt of the abuse from his superior in stride. Despite the accompanying laughter from his wife Temari of the Sand and their twin children, he was calm. The tall pineapple haired shadow had learned how to convincingly sleep with his eyes open and religiously practiced the skill.

To the Seventh's other side, a chair was conspicuously left empty. Genjutsu Master Maito Kurenai, sat proudly at the end of the middle row. Still beautiful in her advanced years, she was complimented on her youthful vigor quite often. As in constantly, every morning, night and even more during weekends. Nearly always during the most awkward of times as well. Not that she minded her vanity being stoked but every one had limits. Kurenai had learned how to sleep with eyes wide open, too. But she took things one step further and thanked Kami-sama for the blessing of acute hearing loss. To the left and right side of the Hokages were the entourages of Neji Hyuuga and Rock Lee. Neji and his wife Hinata Hyuuga stoically sat down. Their regal presence further enhanced by servants, hanger ons and administration staff that followed the Hyuuga Clan Head every where. Behind them quietly sat the product of the arranged marriage, Hyuuga Gai. Hinata noticed her husband looked particularly...soft? This could only mean one thing...Oh no. She was going to have to sit through yet another impassioned lecture on fate, long hair, creating one's own path, birds, cages and Youth, late tonight when everyone was asleep. Hyuuga Hinata cursed the perceptive powers of the Byuukagen.

Rock Lee, the Blue Beast of Konoha, was being comforted by Haruno Sakura. Double rivers of tears poured uncontrollably from the most feared taijutsu fighter in the Elemental Lands. No matter what the Sannin Haruno tried, nothing worked. The usually insane upbeat man in blue spandex, would not stop. They were surrounded with Lee's top students from his dojo too. As if on command, they were crying as well. Sakura's apprentice Tohru sat aghast at the scene, afraid the salty water would flood the floor. If any of Lee's students got too Youthful with her, the brunette was dead set on smashing their faces in and sending them to the hospital. Tohru blocked out the fact that this was how her Master developed a relationship with Rock Lee in the first place. Surprising no one, this remained their marriage's primary method of conflict resolution. Rock Lee often went to the hospital.

Every other member of the legendary Konoha Twelve was there. The heads of Akamichi, Yamanka, Aburame and Inuzaka clans took back seats to every one on this occasion though. Several other Chuunin and Jounin ninja that came to being after The Twelve were at attendance. Nearly everyone there at one point or another had learned taijutsu from Maito Gai or had been directly benefited on a personal level from the man. More than a few owed their lives to Gai and wouldn't miss his retirement party for the world.

Everyone excitedly waited for Maito Gai to be wheeled in by TenTen, hear the usual canned speech and then leave for a roaring Youthful party afterwards.

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A/N: My first try at humor. Part 2 of 2 will be serious and crazy. Sorry for the shortness, I just wanted something to set up the scene for the real speech will be long. This was also something i wanted to do as a stab at getting rid of my writer's block, so its a bit more random than what I usually write. Expect part 2 to be out by tonight


	2. TenTen's Speech

**_The Retirement Speech_** by causeiambetta

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Doors to the small room finally opened and a tall man dressed in light gray and green came out, walking with the help of a cane. Maito Gai had decided that he wanted to walk on his feet for this happy occasion. Slowly yet proudly, the tall slightly hunched over man in a bowl haircut, thick bushy gray eyebrows and a million dollar smile made his way to the podium. A Hyuuga attendant quickly bought out a simple wicker chair for him to sit, facing the audience. Gai graciously sat down and kept his hands on top of the wooden cane he brought with him. His smile only seemed to grow brighter and brighter as he looked at each individual who was there. Everyone that was there was there for him. Maito Kurenai sat up from her seat and came to him with a thick handkerchief, for his tears. Maito Gai thanked her but for once, restrained the tears of happiness.

Spontaneously, the Seventh Hokage started to shout 'YOUTH, YOUTH, YOUTH' and the chanting gained strength. The loudest came from the back and Lee's corner. Met with cheers from others and even whistles from some. Surprisingly, even Hyuuga Neji broke out a grin and the Sixth put down his substandard porno. Finally the Seventh ended it, to Rock Lee's dismay, with an emphatic 'Enough!' Maito Gai gave them a soft wave and smiled that his message has become so famous. Once the final cheers and whistles stopped, a slightly built kunoichi entered the room from the door Gai had just come from and locked the doors behind her.

TenTen walked to the podium slowly and quietly. There was heaviness to her gait that was unusual for the graceful kunoichi. Through the years she had made herself not only the Weapons Mistress of Fire Country but also arguably the best outside of the Hidden Village of the Mist. Her skills were transferred to the Covert Ops ANBU division as soon as she had made Chuunin and Team Gai was broken up. Stepping forward and up on the podium, she set before her several notes. As she was doing this, the audience commented on her dark attire. Ever since joining ANBU her dresses have mostly been black, today she was wearing a velvety traditional Chinese dress with golden threading around the collar and cuffs. A shiny Konoha headband was strapped to her left arm above her ANBU tattoo. More than a few in the room took notice at her nervousness. This was quite unlike her and Maito Gai gave her thumbs up from his chair to show his encouragement.

TenTen saw her sensei do the familiar motion and finally smiled. She nodded to him and then looked out from the stand. Pausing for effect. The microphone finally adjusted and the lights in the conference room dimmed, she finally started.

"Thank you everyone for being here. Today one of the best ninjas to ever come forth from Konoha is to be remembered for his life long service to the village and to its ideals. Maito Gai will end his long and distinguished career today, too much fanfare from every ninja in our force, as well as from our enemies. May he enjoy his civilian life to the fullest, Maito Gai deserves nothing less but the best." TenTen paused for applause that came readily at her opening preamble.

"Many of you know me as TenTen the Weapons Mistress of Fire. Some know me as friend and others as a coworker." She looked around to several individuals and over the whole. "Maito Gai was my sensei, for him I felt that I needed to give this speech my everything, my all. Just has he's done for me all my life. For everything he has done for me, I can't do any less.' She pauses and looks down on her notes. "I would appreciate if what is said here, remains within these walls" This last pronouncement brought a murmur of unease. No one had expected this type of speech, especially not from her. TenTen had the rapt attention of everyone in the room immediately. Even Gai sat back not knowing what to expect, but kept a small smile up incase she looked his way.

"I would like to start from the very beginning. My journey under Maito Gai did not start after I was made genin. Nor after I was put into a team to be tested for later. Weeks before taking the Genin exam, there was a strange man following me around everywhere. From school to my house and wherever I trained by myself. This man was tall, kept a newspaper with him at all times and was always wearing green spandex. For the life of me I thought I had a perverted old man stalking me. So I responded like any reasonable young girl would, I through knives at his head. But this stalker was all too fast and I never could run him down. So it became a game. He would be perverted and stalk me and I would through things at his head whenever I caught him. Not once did I hit him. Two weeks later after passing the tests at the academy with nine other teams, I finally got to meet my new sensei. It was a very exciting time for me; I was finally becoming a ninja. To my surprise, the Jounin sensei assigned to the team was the green spandex wearing stalker I've been wasting kunais on all these weeks." Everyone looked incredulously at Maito Gai. There were many many perverts in the village, but he was NOT one of them, hell most thought he was a very repressed homosexual. With what the spandex and 'going Commando' and everything. Not that anyone had the guts to tell him that in his face.

"Turned out my new sensei, Maito Gai had stalked everyone on the team. To put it bluntly, my team, named after him because everyone forgot our number, Team Gai was made out of ninjas no one wanted. Our talents were not balanced, nor were we in the usual arrangement of top and least ranked assignment. Hyuuga Neji, currently the Hyuuga Head, was the top ranked shinobi from our whole grade. But politics of the time in Konoha made him taboo to take on as a genin without repercussions. Neji was prevented from studying under the top ranked Jounin because he came from the Branch house of Hyuuga. Surely no Branch member could be recognized as the best in class. So the Main branch tried to sabotage his progress by shunting him off to a taijutsu specialist who would preferably corrupt his fighting style." At this she looked at the Hyuuga contingent, getting nods to continue on with her tale.

'Instead Hyuuga Neji became the most talented Hyuuga ninja to come forth in possibly twenty generations, under Maito Gai's care. His mastery of the Byuukagen and Hyuuga Juken is unparalleled. Neji's defense against all other fighting taijutsu fighting styles is widely known. Hyuuga Neji is also the Konoha ninja responsible for Uchiha Sasuke the Betrayer's final demise. This all from a boy the powers that be tried to push down and one Maito Gai insisted in training." Pausing once again, Neji took this time to stand up and walk to Gai himself to bow down. It was a show of humility and appreciation none in the room saw from Neji before. One that Maito Gai wouldn't forget. TenTen allowed Neji to sit again and Gai to regain his composure.

"Rock Lee was the second of our team. To both Hyuuga Neji's chagrin, and mine we were paired with a ninja totally incapable of using chakra. Gai had stalked him longer than either one of us. Watching him for months. In fact, records show Gai to have vociferously demand the Hokage and the other Jounins the honor of taking on Lee. The boy who was absolutely incapable of doing any jutsu or even passing the Genin exam. A failure destined to be a civilian. But that's who Maito Gai wanted." TenTen now looked at Rock Lee's side for permission to continue on. He had one hand on Sakura's lap, holding hers. He quietly nodded for her to continue as he raised bandaged fist above his shoulder.

"Instead Rock Lee became the greatest Taijutsu practitioner in all the Elemental lands. There are none his equal. Lee has as many nicknames as he does moves. Blue Beast of Konoha; Genius of Hard Work; Blue Lotus; Handsome Beast of Konoha; Gates Master and so on. Enemies disperse on hearing the Beast is coming. Rock Lee's exploits are stuff of kungfu movies and comics. He has spread Maito Gai's Hard Fist fighting style to all corners and has etched his own spot in Konoha lore. All without ever using a single jutsu. Rock Lee is also the only other practitioner of the Celestial Gates, after Maito Gai of course. All this from the boy who failed his Genin exam. Whose only reason for even becoming a Genin was Maito Gai in the first place" Rock Lee at this walked up to Gai like Neji had done before. Instead of a respectful bow, Lee couldn't restrain himself and suddenly glomped the older man. Torrents of tears flowing and not willing to let go, it took Haruno Sakura to pry them off each other. Gai had to take out his handkerchief for the second time that day.

"Then there was me. A short slight little girl who was not good at ninjutsu, taijutsu or even genjutsu. The only name I had for myself was my skill at throwing weapons. Obviously I was placed in the bottom quarter of my class. But this did not disturb my 12-year-old self. My hero was the sannin Tsunade, my hobby horoscopes and my love throwing sharp objects. I thought I was ready to take on the world. If only I was not given to this freaky, over emotional, conclusively insane stalker in green spandex." TenTen stopped to turn her page and a look of hurt came to her face for but a second.

"Truth was, I was a stubborn little girl who didn't understand what she had in front of her. A Jounin who wanted to teach. A ninja who wanted me to be somebody. A Jounin who wanted me specifically, when all my life I've been lost in the crowd. I...I didn't listen to him. I continued to work on becoming my generation's weapon's mistress. So I went off and worked on throwing kunai, swords, literally anything and learning sword forms. I even got far as weapons came naturally to me. Gai always told me I was talented." She looks down. "Everyday he told me I was beautiful too, the glorious flower of the spring time of youth." Looking back up at the audience again. "My insane sensei tried to teach me his taijutsu. But I wouldn't listen. Who wanted to be another Lee? He knew my ninjutsu was weak and tried to train me. I ignored him. He tried to give me his own personal Turtle summoning contract. I foolishly insulted him and rejected the offer. What good would a slow turtle for a fast long range thrower like me?" TenTen's eyes grew hazy as she looked back into the past. "Years later, a turtle shell blocked a hail of kage shuriken raining upon me when I fell on a trap in the battlefield." Her attention came back to the present and hands fingered the podium. Nothing my insane sorry excuse for a sensei would come to me. I couldn't wait to leave him. That was my attitude. Well, this insane green man somehow managed to break through even then." TenTen looked over at Gai fondly and mouthing sorry for using the unyouthful words. He of course gave her thumbs up and a smile.

TenTen looked at the audience with a real smile on her face. "Gai-sensei came to me one weekend and forcefully took me to the ballet. A troupe came through the village and he took me with him to a show. Just us. I had a great time and still remember it." Putting one hand above her heart, "Whether he knew it or not, Maito Gai was this young girl's first date." The smile got even wider, her mouth open. "I loved it. I loved how the men and women jumped and ran. How they danced so gracefully and flew through the air. It was absolutely amazing. Thanking Gai-sensei, I thought that was the end of the night. But with Maito Gai, it's never over. He again forced me to go to a studio with him. I had no idea why. The room had mirrors everywhere, smooth wooden floors and lights. Gai disappeared for but a second and reappeared wearing a pink leotards!" The audience looked at Gai aghast, sweat drops EVERYWHERE. Several people blew a fuse in their brains at the utter lunacy of seeing Gai in pink leotards. Kakashi dropped his book on the ground and didn't realize it, Kurenai covered her face. "I was stunned, horror paralyzing my bones in place. Then Gai-sensei started dancing! Ballet dancing, jumping running, doing somersaults and spinning. Now I was blown away. He finished his ten-minute exhibition then looked at me. 'TenTen-chan, would you like to learn ballet?" She let the question hang in the air.

"You better believe it! From then on sensei taught me how to dance and then he made it transition into my shinobi life. Without realizing it, I became stronger, faster, extremely agile and graceful in the battlefield. The transformation was enormous. Friends and enemies alike have commented that I dance more than I fight. And I never get hit. All this is owed to Maito Gai. No one else would have gone to such lengths for one stubborn little girl." Tenten paused to give herself a rest and slow down. The whole crowd looked between her and Gai in disbelief but rapt attention. "But before I was better physically, sensei had stepped in and showed me how to use seals to contain weapons in scrolls. This is the most useful skill I've ever learned in my career; of course it came from Gai-sensei. My chakra reserves grew slowly and my control became better. The scrolls were a lifesaver till I hit adequate levels. Once ballet training and my skills with scrolls became expert, Gai sensei sat down with me one night. Now sensei and me weren't big into conversation, but that night was different. He told me stories that I knew about Tsunade-sama. About how she went out and created her own styles and her own jutsu. Now even at this time I thought I was nowhere near that level. Who was I to create anything? Well Gai-sensei told me he has an idea. Of course this was another one of his insane youth ramblings, I thought at the time, yet I humored him. Gai asked me, TenTen-chan, what if we had a huge scroll, filled to the brim with all the weapons I could find and some how throw them down all at once?" Tenten paused and gave a determined look. "That was the night we first came up with the basic concept my first signature Jutsu, Soshoryu. Twin Rising Dragons. We worked tirelessly in between training and missions to create Soshoryu. A year into it, at when the Chuunin exam of Oto and Sand Invasion came around. It was ready. Without Gai-sensei teaching me ballet and the scrolls technique it would never have happened. Without Gai-sensei believing that I can create my very own jutsu, which even the first in class hasn't done, it would never have happened. Even before the first day I was his Genin, Maito Gai believed in me." Tenten stopped to breathe and again look upon the old man with love.

"Now I was ready to be a Chuunin and leave his wing. But I thought wrong. The second exam was as far as I would get because of my one dimensional fighting style. It was only after meeting such a one sided defeat that I truly to listened to my bowl haircut, spandex wearing, insane Jounin of a sensei. Developing my own form of the Lotus, learning ninjutsu and sparring with both my team mates all went towards me jumping ranks. First to Chunnin, then Jounin with my teamates. ANBU came calling for me and I've been with them since." TenTen pauses again for her breath, the proceeds slowly and clearly. "Maito Gai had taken two castoffs and one political headache from our year, willingly. Team Gai went on to become the only genin team from our batch to survive their first full twelve months of action. Maito Gai created three of the top Jounin ever produced in Konoha through pure selflessness and dedication. When the evil Akatsuki organization were threatening the very existance of all the hidden villages, Gai-sensei singlehandely defeated the swordmaster Kisame, one of their most powerful operatives. During this epic battle Maito Gai had proved that Youth even trumps the 'Death Gate.' No one in recorded history has survived opening of all eight gates but him. It should surprise no one that he did not hesistate to sacrifice himself to save his genin team's lives or that he did it with a smile. Even if Maito Gai could not continue active ninja duty afterwards, he has tirelessly worked towards making the Leaf as strong as possible and spreading the message of Hard Work, Sacrifice and Youth. Today is officially his last day as ninja of the leaf. But he will forever be guiding us, through action and through words. Through smiles and through tears. The sun will never set on your storied legacy." TenTen turns her body to look directly at Gai.

'For everything, thank you.'


End file.
